tips & tricks for the rhythmically & harmonically-challenged
Jazz For You
Hiromi: The Solo Piano Sorcery of Place To Be
Mar 4th
From its very first moments — a machine-gun volley of perfectly-timed notes, frenetically joyous and angular — you can tell that Hiromi’s Place To Be is anything but another sleepy, contemplative solo piano album. In fact, filling the space left by her excellent regular bandmates, the young jazz fusion keyboardist’s musical energy manifests even more vibrantly, resulting in one of the most explosively creative solo piano albums Keyboard Central has ever heard.
If you know Hiromi’s synth-y trio with bassist Tony Grey and drummer Martin Valihora, her stellar collaborations with Chick Corea, or her über-funky work with guitarist Dave Fiuczynski in the quartet Hiromi’s Sonicbloom, you’re aware that she’s a free spirit of outstanding technique and fierce compositional prowess. Place To Be showcases her talents on both fronts, leading the listener through a glitzy Las Vegas-themed suite, as well as a truly original, time-travel reinvention of Pachelbel’s Canon — all while continuing to pay tribute to jazz piano greats like Oscar Peterson throughout. Coming from the same mind that created the unforgettable synth-fusion epic “Kung Fu World Champion,” such eclecticism, skill, and fun is entirely to be expected.
We caught up with Hiromi at her home in Brooklyn, shortly after her return from concerts in her native Japan, to discuss the roots and realization of Place To Be.
Why did you decide to record a solo album?
It’s something that I wanted to try for many years. I recorded the album just before I became 30. When I was considering making this solo album, I started to think about how my life has been these past ten years. I realized I was touring and traveling to so many places, and I just wanted to make an album with the gratitude I felt for my audiences. I wanted to thank the people who gave me the places to be.
Your version of Pachelbel’s Canon is striking. How did you get such an interesting sound out of the piano?
I just put a metallic ruler in the piano and I took it off with my right hand while I was playing with my left hand during the song. It was pretty hard. I had to practice so I didn’t make noise when I took it off — and I had to make sure I didn’t go out of time with my left hand when I was doing something else with my right hand.
Do you play inside the piano often?
I’ve been doing it since I was very small. Just through curiosity I started playing with strings and putting stuff inside the piano.
How did you come across the idea of using a metal ruler as opposed to bubble gum, marbles, or anything else?
When I was small, I had some chances to play the harpsichord. I was fascinated and I was looking for that same kind of sound — and I just found it with the ruler. I thought, “Yeah, this is kind of similar.” Pachelbel’s Canon is such an old song. I wanted to do something that went from the past to now. I wanted to make that transition from original to current, and that’s why I started it kind of oldie style. [Laughs.]
What was the compositional process like for this album?
I wanted to choose songs that came from physical places. Sometimes when I see a landscape, a melody lands in my head — that’s how I start writing. It’s just like how some people paint — but I write music. I compose bit by bit, trying to construct the song, have it make sense, and have it be close to the image that I saw.
Of course, I write things that I can’t really play. I do that so often. I just hear it, write it, and then realize that I need three hands to play what I’ve composed. When I record songs, I have to practice so that I can play complex things with one hand. So that’s hard stuff. [Laughs.]
So you really push your comfort zone when it comes to technique.
I write things that I’m not used to playing. I don’t like to go with the habits that my hands have, so I try to sing a melody, so that my fingers don’t lead the way, so that the melody really has to lead itself. The melody that is ringing in my brain, in my heart, has to lead the song
Having small hands made me have to work hard to play piano — and I still have to work hard. My goal as a pianist is to make the instrument sound full. Whenever I listen to amazing pianists, they make the instrument sound like an orchestra. I can hear how much potential that instrument carries, so I really want to capture that as a pianist. To make it happen with small hands is not that easy, so I have to practice hard.
How wide do your hands stretch? Can you hit tenths?
No, no way! Octaves — and if I stretch harder, I can play more, from C to D, but that’s the maximum. Octaves are very hard already.
Given how strong your technique is and how quickly you can move, you’d never guess.
[Laughs.] That’s good news.
What advice could you offer to piano players who want to make the piano sound as big as you do?
When you play, you have to hear the orchestration in the piano. Try thinking like you’re playing bass with the pinky and the ring finger on the left hand, and then maybe guitar with the other three fingers in the left hand. Maybe three fingers in the right hand can be trombone, saxophone, and trumpet. The top two — the ring finger and the pinky on the right hand — can be flute and oboe. That’s what I see when I play. Even though the piano is only one instrument, it can be so many pieces of an orchestra
It sounds like you’ve really spent a lot of time with orchestral and big band music.
Yes, and I’ve written for orchestras and big bands. [Having had that experience] definitely helps in my solo piano playing.
If you’re trying to make the piano sound like an orchestra, how do you avoid playing too much?
It’s just like any orchestral piece. Everyone doesn’t always have to play. Sometimes it’s flutes only. Sometimes it’s strings only.
For me, it’s so important to honor all 88 keys — not necessarily to play all of them, but to be aware of them. The piano is like a living animal. I feel that each key has a soul and every key is trying to get my attention to be played. A lot of pianists, when they play with a bass player and drummer, tend to use the upper side of the piano because a bass player covers the lower range. But I think that if I did that, the left half of the piano would miss out, and be sad. That’s how I think when I make music for the band as well — I want to be aware of the existence of 88 keys and make them happy. I’m the player, but at the same time, I’m like a conductor in charge of 88 players.
I don’t always play every key in one show — that could be too busy. The important thing is if I’m conscious of each one. Awareness is always the key.
When you write music, do you write it by hand, use notation software, or neither?
I write by hand. It can be chords, notes, and words. Sometimes I just write words that can make me connect to the landscape.
What sorts of words?
I’m walking down the street and then suddenly I think, “Why am I standing here?” And I look at the sky and it’s blue. Or something like that. So that I can reconnect to that image and feeling, it’s nice to put [reference words in the musical score] as I write.
When I play music, I want people to see a landscape. Music and visual images are very strongly connected, and music makes people dream. I’m like a soundtrack creator and listeners can be the film director. I’m always curious if the images I see and the images the audience sees are the same or not. Maybe it’s completely different. Either way, I want to stimulate that part of the brain that makes you see the landscape in the music.
What advice could you offer to musicians or composers who want to do that as well?
Experience more things in life, because music doesn’t come from music — music comes from experiences and what you see, what you feel. You cannot think about notes when you compose. You have to think about something else — to translate what you feel into notes.
So if you spend all of your time in a practice room, you’re not going to have much to say.
Definitely not. But practicing is an important thing. I am a practicer — I love it so much, so I do sometimes lock myself in the house and practice hard. But it’s important to feel the weather changes. It’s important to feel the seasons. It’s important to talk to people, and learn, and just experience life. It’s very important because there are so many things that you can learn outside of the practice room, and then bring back to your music.
Can you talk a little bit about how you practice?
When I’m with the piano, I do exercises. I do play a little classical music, not only for the technique, but more for the compositional aspects because classical composers really know how to make the piano sound full. They have a deep understanding of the instrument. I also just love playing standards. And when I’m not with a piano, I listen to great musical giants. That’s the most amazing practicing source, I think.
How do you keep your fingers in shape when you’re flying all over the world?
You can do so much practicing just from a table. I always try to move my fingers somehow, so that my muscle memory doesn’t go away. When I can be in a club for a couple days, of course, I go in earlier than the performance time so I can feel the piano.
Do people ever look at you funny on airplanes when you just move your fingers around a lot?
Yes, they do. [Laughs.] Sometimes, I don’t realize that I’m moving the fingers and making these huge noises on the armrest. Then the person who’s sitting next to me will ask, “What are you doing?” And I’m like, “Huh?” I’ve been doing it for too many years. I don’t even realize it sometimes.
How much of the music on Place To Be is written note-for-note, and how much is improvised?
It depends. The “Viva! Vegas” songs are more written, but others are less so. Songs like “Somewhere” are very open. It’s more like a standard where I only have a lead sheet.
I have a lot of freedom, especially because I’m playing solo. In a live performance situation, as long as I’m responsible for what’s coming next, then I can go anywhere and make new stories. Sometimes some idea hits my brain when I’m playing — okay, let’s try this route. It’s a completely new journey that I’ve never taken before.
And it’s very risky as well, because [this time] there’s nobody else on the stage apart from me, so I have to be responsible for every single decision that I make. No one will save me if I’m about to jump out. I love that edgy feeling.
Do you ever get nervous?
No. It’s just far too much fun.
On “BQE” in particular, which parts were written out beforehand?
The melody and the interlude are pretty much it, I think. The BQE [Brooklyn- Queens Expressway in New York City] is chaotic and hectic. Then when you are very tired of the drive, you suddenly see the beautiful skyline of Manhattan, which makes everybody dream, and there is a crazy contrast between reality and fantasy. The interlude actually stands for the skyline that suddenly brings you back to the reason why you came to New York in the first place. The BQE is kind of the road that you have to take to get to the dream.
Every day has different places and directions that you have to take — of course in the expressway — but in life, too. So when I’m playing in a performance, I always can create new drama in the song. I always have to come back to the interlude.
How similar are your overall performances show to show?
I want to be a storyteller when I play music, and I have so many stories to tell. Some parts are set, but then I also have these improvised parts, and improvised stories that I can only tell on that very day I play them. It’s so much fun.
Hiromi On the Road
Piano preferences: Most of the time I try to bring the Yamaha CF-IIIS. I grew up with a Yamaha, so the action and the pedal — everything feels like home. My body’s just accustomed to playing Yamaha.
Of course, I’ve met many beautiful pianos from other companies. I love their sounds, but I just don’t feel home when I play them. Every piano maker makes a different instrument. So even though I love the sound, I just don’t feel I belong to the instrument.
I use the piano as a melodic instrument and a percussion instrument as well. It’s very hard to find a very warm piano that also has a very clear attack.
Synth rig: I’m playing a Nord Electro 73, a Nord Lead 2, and a Korg MicroKorg, which I used on the two albums before this solo album.
Why the MicroKorg? It’s a very simple keyboard and I just needed some extra sounds. I was looking for a keyboard that fit on top of the piano, and with the Nord Lead [there already], I only had a very small physical space available.
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Michael Gallant, Keyboard Magazine
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What Are Chord Families?
Jan 21st
Chords are an essential element in playing any contemporary music style. Hence, a firm understanding and grasp of modern harmony is very important in order to be able to play a jazz or pop piece convincingly.
However, it seems like there are so many chords and chord types that it begins to get very confusing, if not difficult to remember and perform instantaneously. This is where the study of chord families comes in. We use chord families to categorize chords by their quality and how they function. Essentially, there are three main chord qualities, i.e. major, minor, and dominant, which are grouped into nine different families.
Major chord families contain all the major types that function as chord I in a major key. This also includes its substitutes, i.e. IIImi and VImi. For example, in the key of C, these chords are C, Emi and Ami. And, of course, the chord types can be anything from C major triad, Cma7, Cma9, to Cma7(#11).
The first minor chord family consists of minor types that function as chord II in a major key. This includes its substitute, i.e. IV. For example, in the key of C, the two chords are Dmi and F. Again, all types are included here, e.g. Dmi7, Dmi11, etc.
The first dominant chord family comprises the primary dominant of the major key and its substitute VII. So in the key of C, this will be the G7 and Bdim. The chord types can range from G7, to G7sus4, to G13.
The second minor chord family is made up of chord I in a minor key area and its substitutes, i.e. chord III and VI (chord quality depending on which minor scale). Hence, in the key of C Natural Minor, these chords are Cmi7, Ebmaj7 and Abmaj7. Chord types include anything from Cmi(add9) to Cmi13.
The third minor chord family consists of the minor chord that functions as the IImi7b5 in a minor key. This also includes its substitute IV. So in the key of C Harmonic Minor, the chords are Dmi7b5 and Fmi7. Again, all the chord types are available.
The second dominant chord family is in the minor key area and includes the dominant seventh with a raised 11th. Hence, in the key of C Melodic Minor, this will be the F7#11 chord, or F9#11, or F13#11, and even F7b5.
The third dominant chord family covers the dominant seventh with an altered ninth, i.e. V7b9 or V7#9, in a minor key. In the C Harmonic Minor key, this will be either the G7b9 or G7#9 chord and their other bigger types.
The final dominant chord family comprises the dominant seventh with all the altered tension notes including the flatted 13th. In the key of C minor, this can be a G7b13, or G7(#11,b13), or G7(b9,b13), etc. As long as the dominant seventh chord contains an altered 13th note it falls into this family.
And, finally, the diminished chord family contains the diminished seventh chords. This is closely related to the third dominant chord family as its upper structure. For example, the upper structure starting on the 3rd note of G7b9 forms the Bdim7. However, this particular chord always functions as a passing chord, so it does not have the prominence of the G7b9 family.
You will find that the nine chord families above will cover all the available chords in music. This makes the study of chords much easier to understand and relate to. Don’t worry about the hundreds of chord types and qualities. So as long as you can break a chord down to its basic function, it will definitely fall into one of the category of chord families mentioned above.
I have been teaching piano for more than 20 years. Although classically-trained, I have always loved contemporary music. I grew up in a household filled with all types of music, from classical to jazz, Pavarotti to Sinatra, Goldberg to Grusin, pop, rock, etc. Currently residing in Singapore, I conduct private piano lessons in pop and jazz music to students of all ages, ranging from music enthusiasts, piano teachers to professional musicians. I also write a blog especially for pianists who find themselves rhythmically and harmonically challenged, and also on other interesting music and piano-related stuff.
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Jazz Improvisation – Why is it So Hard and How to Overcome the Initial Difficulty?
Dec 4th
Thanks to Norah Jones, Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble and many other young jazz and jazz-influenced artists, interest in jazz music has been making a strong comeback. And with singer/piano players like Norah and Jamie, it’s not hard to see why jazz piano-playing has taken on with many piano enthusiasts as well.
However, because many of us started off learning the piano by playing classical music which deeply grounds us in music-reading and interpretation of the works of the masters, i.e. Bach, Chopin, Mozart, etc., the jazz style and its element of improvisation become, to many, extremely difficult to learn, or a skill which “you either have it, or you don’t.” It really doesn’t have to be that way.
Learning how to play jazz – no matter how brilliant a pianist you are – is going to be difficult in the beginning because you are learning a new skill. However, the best part of it is if you are a classically-trained pianist you would already have many years of technique and musical knowledge to support your foray into jazz. Think of it this way: if you can ride a bicycle and would now like to learn how to ride a scooter, chances are you won’t have any balancing issues. In the case of jazz piano-playing, all you have to do is to have the right approach and a systematic practice routine.
For your initial improv journey, I personally recommend this three-step approach:
- Scales & Chords – Add on to your repertoire of major and minor scales and triads and 7th chords to include the major modes (dorian, mixolydian, etc.) and minor modes (lydian augmented, lydian b7, altered, etc.); and A&B voicings (or rootless voicings), and keep your left hand comping simple – it’s not a crime to hold the chord down through the bar!
- Song Choice – Sounds like I’m channeling American Idol, but it’s excellent advice. Choose pieces that are not too challenging in terms of its harmonic changes (you don’t want to struggle with the new voicings that you have been working on), have a melodious tune (keeps you interested and provides an easy fallback during your solos) and is rhythmically easy (you don’t want to stumble over intricate swing syncopation).
- Listening Session – This cannot be overemphasized. The easiest way to learn a new musical style – how it feels, how it sounds, how it moves and grooves – is to listen to how it’s actually played by the experts in the field. All the more so with jazz music which is such an audible art – meaning the improvisational aspect of playing the piece is facilitated by a highly-skilled and trained ear. Listen to the gurus of jazz piano, i.e. Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Marian McPartland, etc. Wouldn’t you know it; some of these jazzers were classically-trained – just like you!
Most of you are probably already listening to jazz music. Guess what? That means you are one-third of the way through the above approach! Work the other two into your practice routine and let your creativity fly!
I have been teaching piano for more than 20 years. Although classically-trained, I have always loved contemporary music. I grew up in a household filled with all types of music, from classical to jazz, Pavarotti to Sinatra, Goldberg to Grusin, pop, rock, etc. Currently residing in Singapore, I conduct private piano lessons in pop and jazz music to students of all ages, ranging from music enthusiasts, piano teachers to professional musicians. I also write a blog especially for pianists who find themselves rhythmically and harmonically challenged, and also on other interesting music and piano-related stuff.
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7 Ways to Become a Better Pop or Jazz Pianist
Nov 21st
“Practice!” That’s what piano teachers always tell their students, or “Practice makes perfect,” spout many. But practice what? Practice how? If practice makes perfect, then it is also true that imperfect practice makes imperfection! And we don’t want that. To become really good at our craft, i.e. piano-playing, it is important to know what and how to practice. Hence, to me, the saying should really be knowledgeable practice makes perfect.
Here are the seven important areas to cover and to diligently practice in order to become a better pop and/or jazz pianist.
- Scales - All contemporary piano players know that scales are the basic building blocks in music. The notes of a melody come from a scale, as are improvisational lines in jazz solos. Essential scales to master are: major (ionian mode), melodic and harmonic minor, modes (dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian [natural minor], locrian), major and minor pentatonic, major and minor blues, diminished and whole-tone.
- Chords – From scales, we build chords. It’s vital to memorize all the diatonic chords of the major and minor scales. Diatonic chords are chords that are built on every note of a scale and whose notes come from that very scale; there are seven altogether for each scale. Learn up its chord quality and function within the scale or key, regardless whether the chords are triads, sevenths, or 13th chords. Essential chord families to master are: major, minor and dominant.
- Rhythm - The best melody and harmony in the world will be quite boring without a hint of rhythm that goes with it. Rhythm gives life to music. Inherent with rhythm is feel, i.e. the interpretation of rhythmic units. Essential rhythmic feels to grasp are: straight and rolled 8ths, straight and rolled 16ths, swing and triplet. Additionally, it is also important to work on other rhythmic aspects such as syncopation and anticipation.
- Cycle of 5ths – Imagine the face of a clock and instead of the hourly numbers, replace these with the 12 notes in music, i.e. starting at the top at 12 with C, then moving clockwise down five steps to F, then Bb and continuing this until you end back at C. This is what you will get: C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db(C#)-Gb(F#)-Cb(B)-E-A-D-G-C. Memorize this movement because a lot of chord progressions in songs move naturally in this way, either down in perfect 5ths or up in perfect 4ths. For example, the A section of “Fly Me to the Moon”: Ami7-Dmi7-G7-Cma7-Fma7-Bmi7(b5)- E7-Ami7. The roots of the chords move perfectly around the cycle, diatonic to the key of C major!
- Form – All the elements of music – melody, harmony and rhythm – will be pointless or meandering if not held together or structured in specific forms. Pop songs are known for their verse and chorus structures, or AB form. It is also common to find modern pop songs these days with the following form: intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-outro (ending). Blues music, of course, has its 12-bar structure, and its less common 16-bar form. And the 32-bar song form in jazz with its many variations, i.e., AABA, AABC, et cetera, are all important to note and remember.
- Styles - The beautiful thing about contemporary music is its many styles: pop, rock, R&B, reggae, gospel, bossa nova, swing, bebop, et cetera. Each and every style has its inherent melodic, harmonic and rhythmic characteristics. Break down every facet of a style and learn how to interpret it correctly. Master the styles and make your playing more colorful and multidimensional!
- Listen - Last but not least, because contemporary music comes in many genres, styles, shape and form, we need to develop a healthy listening habit. Every area from 1 to 6 above can be consolidated through a good listening session. As you listen to a piece of music, be it something from Coldplay, Sara Bareilles, Michael Buble, or Keith Jarrett, look out for and analyze all the elements – the melody/scale, chord/harmony, rhythm/feel, form and style. Music is an audible art. Hence, as a musician you need to build up your analytic listening skills!
Since there are 7 areas to work on altogether, these can be put to efficient practice, one for each day of the week! And remember only knowledgeable and perfect practice makes perfect. Have fun!
I have been teaching piano for more than 20 years. Although classically-trained, I have always loved contemporary music. I grew up in a household filled with all types of music, from classical to jazz, Pavarotti to Sinatra, Goldberg to Grusin, pop, rock, etc. Currently residing in Singapore, I conduct private piano lessons in pop and jazz music to students of all ages, ranging from music enthusiasts, piano teachers to professional musicians. I also write a blog especially for pianists who find themselves rhythmically and harmonically challenged, and also on other interesting music and piano-related stuff.
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Top 5 Pieces For a Beginner Jazz Pianist
Nov 12th
Learning how to play jazz piano for the first time is exciting yet very intimidating if one starts with the wrong songs. Selecting pieces that are melodically pleasing, rhythmically simple, harmonically easy (as in the chord changes) and all structured within a straightforward form is very important if a beginner jazz pianist is to gain any significant performance result.
Hence, the following pieces all comprise the elements just mentioned above and, in my opinion, are very suitable for any novice jazz player. Interestingly, these pieces will eventually have to be among the standard tunes in any true jazzer’s repertoire.
The five songs are: (listed in alphabetical order)
- 1. Autumn Leaves: Beautiful melody in simple rhythms; II-V-I chord changes in the key of G major and its relative E minor; 32-bar ABAC form. This is a “must know” jazz standard, often played in ballad and/or medium swing style. It is also common to find this song represented in G minor.
2. Blue Bossa: Descending melody line with lightly syncopated latin rhythms; II-V-I in C minor and Db major; 16-bar AB form. This piece is great in two ways: it is a great introduction to bossa nova style and also chord changes in minor key.
3. Fly Me to the Moon: Another beautiful descending melodic line with a rhythm that can be interpreted in swing or latin; mainly diatonic and related chords from C major; another 32-bar ABAC form. An old Sinatra favorite and, of course, repopularized by Michael Buble, this song not only has a catchy melody, but the chord progression also moves beautifully in the cycle of fifths.
4. So What: Simple modal melody in the bass in flowing 8th rhythms; D Dorian modal chords; classic 32-bar AABA, starting with 16 bars of D Dorian, moving up a half step to 8 bars of Eb Dorian and back to the last 8 bars of D Dorian again. Miles Davis’ popular piece is an excellent thesis in modal studies. The beginner will learn the concept of “less is more.”
5. Summertime: A classic Gershwin blues melody in simple rhythms; mainly diatonic and related chords of D minor; 16-bar AB form. Another great minor piece and also a “must know,” with a bluesy tinge. There is an opportunity to learn about line clichés and applying them to chords Imi and IVmi.
For each song, learn the melody and play through its chord progression. Pay attention to the form and structure of the song. If possible, commit all these to memory. It will be well worth the effort and time and you will appreciate knowing the song inside out, especially once you start the improvisational aspect of jazz piano-playing!
I have been teaching piano for more than 20 years. Although classically-trained, I have always loved contemporary music. I grew up in a household filled with all types of music, from classical to jazz, Pavarotti to Sinatra, Goldberg to Grusin, pop, rock, etc. Currently residing in Singapore, I conduct private piano lessons in pop and jazz music to students of all ages, ranging from music enthusiasts, piano teachers to professional musicians. I also write a blog especially for pianists who find themselves rhythmically and harmonically challenged, and also on other interesting music and piano-related stuff.
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